The present invention relates to methods and systems for distributing and playing content such as audio content.
An increasing number of audio content items are becoming accessible via the Internet. Many radio stations now simulcast their over-the-air broadcast via the Internet. Some television networks are also simulcasting their over-the-air or cable broadcasts via the Internet. In addition, archived items such as archived radio programs, speeches, and music are also available via the Internet.
An audio content item is communicated to an end user""s computer using either streamed data or a data file. The end user""s computer decodes the streamed data or the data file using audio player software. Examples of audio player software include RealPlayer from Real Networks and Netscape Media Player from Netscape. The audio player software directs the computer to play back the audio content item.
Services such as AudioNet (whose Internet domain name is registered to AudioNet, Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif., U.S.A., and administered by Yahoo! Inc. of Sunnyvale, Calif., U.S.A.) and Timecast (whose Internet domain name is registered to Progressive Networks, Inc. of Seattle, Wash., U.S.A.) provide directories for audio content items available via the Internet. Using these services, the end user can select an audio content item for playback using his/her computer. However, interaction between the audio player software and the service may be limited to that necessary to play back the audio content item.
User feedback to movies and music is also currently of interest. Movie Critic (whose Internet domain name is registered to Songline Studios, Macromedia, Inc., of San Francisco, Calif., U.S.A.) recommends movies of potential interest to an end user in return for the end user""s rating of a movie he/she has seen. Billboard magazine and its associated Web site provide music rankings based on sales and air play.
Broadcast Architecture provides a service for testing audio playlists. A methodology employed by Broadcast Architecture comprises physically assembling one or more listeners to test a playlist, playing one or more songs to the listeners, and receiving rating signals from the listeners. The rating signals are generated by listeners turning up or down a dial depending on whether they like or dislike a song. The rating signals can be plotted in a time series to interpret the results.